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THE RATIONRLE OF FREE PUBUC WBRARiES, 43
London Working Men’s College at 143, Upper Kenningtou
Lane. Bethnal Green practically possesses a fair library of
5,000 volumes, opened to the public by the trustees of ‘I The
Hall” in London Street. In St. Pancras an anonymous lady
benefactress opened a small Freo Library at 39, Camden Street,
and after three years of successful operation it mas plnccd in
the hands of a committeo of subscribers and residents of the
parish, mho are gradually increasing its usefulness.
There arc, it is true, several other important libraries which
are practically freo to the public. The Lambeth Palace Library
is ope“ to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays,
and Fridays, and Tuesday mornings; but the collcction of
books, though highly valuable to the scholar, is totally unsuited
to popular use. The excellent library of tho London Institution
in Finsbury Circus is practically opened to the use of any
suitable readers by the liberality of the managers of that
institution and the public spirit of its principal librarian, Mr.
E. B. Nicholson. Tho remarkable scientific library collected
by Sir Francis Ronalds and bequeathed to the Society of
Telegraph Engineers, is also available to the public. But such
special libraries do not in the least fill tho place occupied in
Manchester, Birmingham, and ot,her towns by tho public
libraries, with their numerous branches, news-rooms, &c.
It has been aeriously argued that London does not want
rat,e-support,ed libraries, because there is in the British Museum
: avast library maintained at the cost of the State, To angono
in the least acquainted with the British Museum it is not
necessary to give an answer to such an absurd argument. It
would be in the highest degree wasteful and extravagant to
open such a library to popular use. Panizzi’s great readingmom
is the national literary laboratory, whence no small part
of the literature of the country directly or indirectly draws its
material and inspiration. The cost mBy be considerable, bnt
the work done there is essential. atready the privileges of
the reading-room are to some extent abnsod by loungere,
students reading the commonest text-books, or others who like
the soft seats and rather warm atmosphew ; but it is irnpos-
Qble to draw the line with pdwt acouracy. If- my change